How to Plan Your Meals for Bodybuilding

May 7, 2010 by
Filed under: General Fitness 

Bodybuilding is not only restricted to working out intensely and planning an exercise regimen. You also need to take care of the food you eat, and monitor your food intake and also the timing of your meals. After all, it is through healthy food that you will eventually build up a good metabolic rate. In order to make that happen, you have to create a plan for your meals.

Here are some tips to get you started with dietary planning:

  • To build your body, you will have to eat a lot, and at regular intervals. Make a chart of what you will need to eat, and cook accordingly. Well cooked and prepared food will also prevent you from eating out and giving in to temptation.
  • Plan your breakfast, lunch and dinner wisely and eat at a gap of every three hours. Apart from these three meals, indulge in some healthy snacks at regular intervals to rev up your metabolism.
  • It is also suggested that you divide your meals into various portions. Store these portions in the refrigerator, for these are the portions that you will eat often. The main food items that should be included in these portions are meat, cheese, peanut butter, potato, pasta, fish, and bagels. Your intake of most of these items should be anywhere between 1-8 oz., while you can have about a cup of pasta and two tablespoons of peanut butter.
  • You may include yogurt, eggs, and whole wheat toast in your diet. Your diet should contain balanced portions of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The prescribed proportion of these three important ingredients is 1:2:2 respectively. You should also eat a lot of fiber. Fiber enriched foods work as antioxidants. Also, don’t be paranoid about consuming fats, as they are essential for your body. Moreover, your bodybuilding sessions will make you burn that fat anyway.
  • While you plan your food chart, make sure that you focus on health benefits rather than taste. Honey nougat ice cream may taste great, but it does not have the necessary nutrients. Use your creativity to make any ‘boring food’ interesting.
  • Drink lots of water. Never allow your body to get dehydrated.
  • Make sure you take home cooked food with you when you go to work. Outside/ canteen food is not very healthy, and that is the last thing you should go for if you want to stick to your bodybuilding regimen.
  • Plan your meals in such a way that if your diet incorporates too many calories in one day, you can opt for just the opposite the following day.

Use these suggestions to plan your meal schedule for an effective bodybuilding regime.

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